


Tittle Tattle

by adarkwintersday



Series: Hide Those Ears [8]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 14:09:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7979539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adarkwintersday/pseuds/adarkwintersday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enterprise is a flying beehive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tittle Tattle

‘Everyone?  The _entire ship_?’

‘There are four hundred and twenty six crew members on board.  I cannot speak for all of them, Captain.’

‘I thought it was four hundred and twenty nine.’

‘You may recall that Ensign Singer was transferred to the Lexington, and that Yeoman Lars…’  He stops, registering Jim’s amusement.  ‘You think me pedantic, Captain.’

‘ _Jim_.’

‘Jim,’ says Spock obediently.  And Jim immediately realises that he has played to his own disadvantage.  Strayed, foolishly, from the subject.

‘ _Everybody knows_ , Spock?’

‘That is not what I said.’

‘You implied it.’

‘…perhaps.’

‘But I haven’t told anyone!  Well, only Bones.  And we haven’t exactly been making out on the bridge - ’

Jim hesitates, as something almost imperceptible shifts in Spock’s face.

‘We haven’t,’ he repeats.  

Spock’s gaze is riveted on a completely empty space, about a foot behind Jim’s head.

‘It is possible that, to an extent, we have…betrayed ourselves.’

Jim absorbs the moment.  Spock’s gentle attempts at misdirection, and his own ridiculous incomprehension.  And the way his heart is still playing hopscotch, immune to embarrassment.

 

Jim has never even _asked_ whether Spock would tolerate public demonstrations of affection.  If he and his First Officer touch too much, stand too close, exchange too many fleeting, speaking Looks on the bridge - well, that’s how they’ve been almost since they met.  For more than two years, _before_ Jim - unbelievably, amazingly, _finally_ \- got said First Officer into his bed.  If anything, this new, private intimacy has made Jim more self-conscious.  Careful to keep those stolen luxuries brief, and to maintain the semblance of professionalism that Spock seems to take for granted. 

 

Clearly, however, he has not been nearly as plausible as he imagined.

 

‘You mean _I’ve_ betrayed us, Spock.’

Spock’s hand ghosts its way down Jim's arm, and Jim shivers, and steps in close.

‘You’re telling me that I walk out of the turbolift every morning with a sign on my head that says Freshly Fucked.’

For a moment the electric touch stills.  The current is almost cut off.

‘No,’ says Spock.

‘Then what…’  

Jim is distracted now.  Chasing, frustrated, after that suddenly dwindling spark.  

‘What…’

Spock’s arms slide around him.  Hands moving across his back, electricity gathering…suddenly dangerous.  

‘It is hard to explain.’  

Spock is murmuring the words, now - lips against Jim’s neck.

‘You look…different.’

‘Different…’

 

The captain temporarily forgets how to breathe, and his question goes unfinished.

 

 _This_ , says a small voice in Jim’s head, _is getting to be a problem_.  Left alone together, they never seem to be able to finish a conversation.

 

‘How do I - ’

The rest of the question is lost, as his lover presses suddenly, ruthlessly, forward.  And the last coherent piece of Jim surrenders, unanswered.

 

~

 

 _Different_ , thinks Spock, as the Captain sleeps.

 

The same brave, beautiful human - always golden, always _glowing_.  But now…

 

Sometimes, now, Spock finds the light almost blinding.  If the Captain is the sun, then Spock is not in orbit - he is falling in.  Falling, and he does not care.  He will go blind, he will burn to ashes - he does not mind it.   

 

Vulcan hearing is extremely sensitive, and all over the _Enterprise_ Spock has been hearing the startling, intrusive murmur of voices.  But, now that the initial shock has worn off, he finds that this does not disturb him.

 

What does it matter, if four hundred and twenty six people have noticed that it is for his First Officer that the Captain glows most brightly?

 


End file.
